Collective sensing in electric fish. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38448593/)

These scientists studied a type of fish called the African weakly electric fish Gnathonemus petersii. These fish use electrical pulses to sense their environment, kind of like how dolphins use sound to see underwater. The scientists wanted to see if these fish could use the electrical pulses of other fish around them to help them sense things better.

To do this, the scientists created models and did experiments where they recorded the electrical activity in the fish's brains while they were swimming together. They found that when these fish were near each other, they could sense things from a farther distance and could tell objects apart better.

This study showed that these fish can work together as a group to help each other sense their environment better. Just like how friends can help each other find things in a dark room by working together, these fish can use each other's electrical pulses to see better underwater.

Pedraja F., Sawtell NB. Collective sensing in electric fish. Nature. 2024 Mar 6. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07157-x.